Limited Time
by Lunar Xerneas
Summary: Red's life on Mt. Silver is rather lonely. But when he tries to get down to visit relatives and friends, he has a bad accident. Who will come to his rescue? Can he be saved on time? Originalshipping (RedxGreen)!
**I wrote this story about three years ago. I decided to republish it on this account. Enjoy!**

A harsh, icy wind whipped at his vest, many snowflakes flying across the frozen terrain. He watched with bored and scarlet eyes as a gust of howling wind sent a wave of sparkling white up and across the air.

He sighed silently, eyes looking down a bit. His mind had been running around and about for the past few days. He desperately wanted to see his family and friends. He missed them dearly, however, he didn't want to be met with the reporters, the cameras, and the fame. He may have been the champion of Kanto, but he just wanted his life to be normal. Just his friends, pokemon, and loving family. He wanted things to be the way they had been before he had started his pokemon journey.

"Pika?" The small squeak made him look down. A small, yellow mouse sat by his feet, looking up at him with its concerned, brown eyes. The lightning bolt-shaped tail twitched and its black-tipped ears perked up waiting for a response. He looked back up, staring out in the distance. He narrowed his eyes slightly; deep in thought.

Red blinked a few times, then looked back down at the small yellow pokemon. "We're going home." He turned on his heel, walking to the entrance of the cave that led him out. Pikachu followed closely behind and thoughts spurred about in Red's head as he trudged through the snow.

He started feeling hesitant of going back, and he paused. Pikachu bumped into him, then gave him a look of confusion as though to say _'I thought we were going home.'_

Red let out an annoyed sigh before continuing. He went inside of the cave he resided in, immediately packing his things. His brow furrowed in concentration, thinking about what he would need. Red only planned to stay home for about a week; maybe two...

He shook his head, putting his last pokeball on his belt. He zipped up his worn-out bag (he told himself to get it replaced during his stay home), and let Pikachu jump onto his shoulder before walking back outside, barely taking notice of the winds that buffeted at his exposed arms.

He made his way to the mountain's edge. Looking around, he realized that he seemed to have taken a wrong turn. He turned and wandered, trying to confirm that he had taken the wrong path. After a few minutes of wandering he frowned; there wasn't a way down further. He sighed, a little irritated, turned around and went back up the mountain and finding a different path.

He could've easily used his Charizard to get down the mountain, but the orange dragon had fractured its wing during some training about a week ago. That was another reason he had to get down the mountain; to get its wing fixed.

He walked out the next cave and was greeted by an icy wind. He was a bit closer to the top, and he found a way down further; a steep ledge that held many loose rocks.

He sighed, his breath going up in a fog. He always felt unnerved climbing down these walls. He stood by the edge for a moment before turning and kneeling, getting ready to climb down. He slowly put a foot onto the rocks and brought himself downwards, gripping the edge tightly. He gradually climbed down and was slightly shaking by the time he made it.

There was another steep rocky cliff that stood in his way. Letting loose a breath, Red made his way down the next rocky wall. He continued climbing, the cold rocks numbed his hands like ice despite the fingerless gloves he was wearing. Taking another look down he shuddered, he was quite high up. He took another step down, slowly and steadily lowering himself down.

He took another step down, and tried to think of something other than looking at the rocky, icy ground below. He slowly made his way downward, trying his best to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

He gasped when the rocks underneath his feet suddenly came loose. He flinched, shuddering as he heard the rocks make loud thuds many feet below. He settled his foot on a different rock, staying in that position for a minute or two before continuing.

Being as careful as he could, he took another step. He couldn't calm his heavily beating heart down. He had a terrible feeling trapped inside of his heart; like an arcanine trying to break its way out of a cage. He couldn't calm this feeling, it stuck to his heart like glue, not wanting to leave.

His mind was running as he warily picked his way down, and tried to breathe normally.

He couldn't even gasp when his hand slipped.

He felt air rushing around him, blowing at his shocked face. His cap blew straight off of his head, and he could only wait for the impact. He grabbed Pikachu, who was screeching in fear as they fell. He too was panicking, but he couldn't find a way to show his fear.

He felt his body make contact with the snow-covered ground, and his eyes immediately flew wide open and his mouth agape when he felt his back make a sickening crunch. He couldn't scream. He stared up at the sky, barely able to breathe as his mind tried to tell him to scream. But all that came out was a quiet, long and raspy breath.

"PIKA!" the mouse screamed in fear. It looked at Red, his expression practically saying: _'are you okay?'_ Red still didn't do a thing. Somewhat recovering from the shock, he looked around, realizing how far he had fallen. Mind still scattered, he attempted moving only feel a wave of pain surge through his body. He let out a quiet yelp.

"Pika pi," he heard, tears bubbling in his pikachu's eyes.

Red warily rest his gaze down on Pikachu, who snuggled up to him. He couldn't think of anything. He could only stare at his pokemon.

He lifted his right arm, seeing it tremble. He fumbled his belt, weakly grabbing a pokeball. He pushed the button, and in a white flash, a new pokemon appeared. The pale purple pokemon immediately panicked when its eyes met his.

"Espeon?!" The pokemon cried, wondering why Red was lying on the ground, eyes half open.

Red opened his mouth to speak, at first his voice was quiet and raspy, he finally mouthed some words. "E-Espeon... g-go find... Green... tell him... I need... h-help..."

Espeon tilted its head, blinking. How was it supposed to get Green? It couldn't speak human... "Espe? Es espeon!"

Red knew exactly what Espeon meant. He then; with much effort rolled onto his belly, slowly getting his backpack off. He shakily reached inside, grabbed a notebook and a pen. He fumbled through the book with numbed hands, trying to find an empty page. He found one, and quickly scribbled some words down without really looking at the paper. He ripped the page from the notebook, and messily handed it to Espeon. He gave the psychic feline a hopeful smile; then closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

Espeon was hesitant of leaving Red on his lonesome, but it knew Red was a tough trainer, and that pikachu was there. It picked the note up in its mouth. "Espe! " It cried before bolting away, off to find Green as fast as its legs would carry it. The purple pokemon disappeared in a scatter of snow.

Pikachu looked down to Red, who had long since fallen into deep shock. "Pika..." the small mouse curled up close to Red, who in turn shuddered from the cold. After all, he never exactly laid down in the snow, letting it slowly bury him...

* * *

Green sighed irritably, poking the paper with his pencil.

He absolutely _hated_ paperwork. That was the one downfall of being a gym leader. That and the poor quality of the lunches he got.

He groaned, trying to concentrate. He couldn't even describe the papers. They were just tons of pointless questions. Some of them were rather personal. Why should he answer a question along the lines of: 'Do you have a crush on someone? If so, who?' What kind of question was that?!

Sometimes he wished he was like Red. But then again, the quiet champion would have much worse to cope with; reporters trying to get the latest scoop from him, trainers left to right; always asking to battle, only to get their team beaten to the ground by the champion.

 _Wonder how he is..._ He pondered. Although the two hadn't spoken for a while, his former rival would be on his mind every now and again. But he soon rolled his eyes at his own comment. _I'm sure he's still cooped up on top of that blasted mountain, freezing to death-_

"ESPEON!"

He dropped his pencil in surprise when he heard the foreign cry. It sounded like his jolteon for just a second, but then he recognized it as something different. He pushed his hands on the table, finding his feet, and wondering who or what was making that racket.

As he walked through the halls that led to the door of the gym, Green grew a little bit more anxious as the cries became louder and more desperate. He shuddered at the thought of something being wrong; and with one quick motion, opened the door.

"Okay, who's making that racket?! I'm trying to-" He looked down at the Espeon in front of him. He stared at it, and it stared right back. He saw a thin scar across the purple pokemon's left ear, and recognized it in an instant.

"...Do you belong to Red?" He asked, confusion riddled on his face.

The Espeon nodded vigorously, the paper in its mouth flapping with the movement.

At that, Green scowled. He had work to do! "Well, what are you doing here?! I'm really busy, you know!" The Espeon flinched slightly, eyes closing for half a second before it glared at him, lifting its head.

"Es! Espeon!" It cried, dropping the paper it was holding. It put a paw on it, and pushed it towards him, eyes full of despair.

Green rolled his eyes again. _I swear, Red doesn't even want to see me!_ "A letter? Really? Red couldn't just come and see me in person-? oh..." He picked up and read the letter. The writing was very messy, as though it was written by a mere child. And while it was very short, the words scrawled across the bent, ripped paper made him feel like his heart had stopped.

 _'Accident on Mt. Silver._

 _Get help.'_

He tried his best to compose himself, but to no avail. The paper dropped right from his hand, and it fluttered to the ground. He stood there for a moment, bewildered before running back into the gym. He couldn't think, and he couldn't speak.

Saying that he was panicking was an understatement. He was madly trying to find the pokeballs with his team of pokemon and a coat to wear. He knew that Red never wore anything warm up in that mountain, so he quickly grabbed a thick blanket. Once he was fully packed, he ran back out of the gym, and stopped, panting. He threw one of his pokeballs, and in a white flash of light, a giant bird pokemon came out.

"Pidgeot. We need to get to Mt. Silver, now!" He ordered, jumping onto the bird's back. He looked over to the Espeon and caught it as is leaped onto his lap. "We have to hurry!"

With a shriek, the Pidgeot spread its wings and took off.

How long had he been out here? He didn't know.

He warily opened his eyes, seeing nothing but white. He felt so cold, but he saw a yellow mouse snuggled to his side, shivering. He unconsciously moved his hand forward to scratch the pikachu behind the ear. His mind couldn't register what exactly was going on, but he could only imagine that it was bad.

Pikachu flinched when he felt the cold hand of its trainer. It looked over to him, nuzzling him gently. It noticed that Red's fingertips were tinted purple, and he was shivering.

He watched his Pikachu scramble about around his body, trying its best to warm him up. He thought about getting his other pokemon to help warm him up, but he fell back asleep before he could take any course of action.

* * *

The Pidgeot flew with all its might against the strong gusts of icy wind that was surging from Mt. Silver. It passed through the sky; getting closer and closer to the tall, dangerous mountain.

Green was getting anxious. He prayed that Red was okay; hell, at least alive! His worry was getting the better of him. "Damn it, Red... You'd better be alive, or I swear..."

Once they had made it to the mountain, he looked down and around, trying to find the familiar red vest. His heart was pounding, and he was beginning to feel sick. He stared down at the icy landscape, beginning to wonder why Red had gotten hurt.

As his mind was racing, he heard Pidgeot screech, and he looked down, seeing the faintest flash of red. His heart seemed to have leaped from his chest. "There! Pidgeot, land over there!"

Once the bird landed, he jumped off of it and ran towards the figure half-buried in snow. "RED! GOD DAMN IT, YOU'D BETTER BE ALIVE!" He shouted through the howling winds. He indeed found Red, with his Pikachu clinging to him tightly. The small electric mouse saw Green and glared, hissing slightly.

"Relax, Pikachu. It's me, Green." When the little pokemon relaxed, the brunette teen knelt beside Red. He was unconscious, and his fingertips were tinted purple. "...Pikachu, do you know what happened?"

Pikachu's gaze drifted downwards, and its ears flattened a bit. It pointed up at the cliff, where some of the rocks were loose. "Pika..."

Green's eyes widened in shock. "He _fell?!"_ Green started digging the snow off of Red's body; he was gentle, just in case he was hurt. The last thing he wanted was for Red to get hurt furthermore by him.

"Damn it Red..." Green turned to his Pidgeot. "Pidgeot, here please," the bird chirped and hurried over to him.

Once Red was out of the snow, Green took a little time to see just what the black-haired teen's injuries were. He saw many cuts and bruises, some of them caked with blood that had frozen to his skin. But the worst injury was the fact that Red's spine had been literally shattered. Green slightly flinched when he felt along Red's spine, feeling the broken bones beneath the others skin.

"Okay..." Green shuddered, quickly bringing the blanket out of his bag to wrap gently around Red. "His spine is broken..." Green didn't want to see Red's face when... or if... the doctors told him that me may never be able to walk again. Green knew Red would be devastated.

If he even lived.

Green thought hard about how he would get Red to a hospital with the least pain and the fastest he could. He considered carrying him and sitting on pidgeot's back, but that could hurt him. He shuddered at the thought of Red being more wounded than he already was.

He thought for a minute, then got an idea. He looked over to Espeon. "Espeon." The purple pokemon looked up, eyes glassy with fear. "Use Psychic on Red. Lift him up onto Pidgeot."

At first, Espeon was skeptical. Use an attacking move on its own trainer?! However, after a few moments of debating on this topic, it considered the idea. "Espe," it nodded, and the gem on its head began to glow. A moment later, Red began to glow in a eerie blue aura. He was lifted from the ground. Doing its best not to hurt its trainer, Espeon placed the unconscious teen onto the Pidgeot, where Green was waiting. Pikachu soon leaped onto the bird with Espeon, tail twitching.

Green nodded. "Thanks, Espeon." He then wrapped one arm gently around Pidgeot, and the other around Red. He made sure that he had a firm, yet gentle grip, and nodded. "Alright, Pidgeot! Let's hurry!"

"Pidgeo!" With that, the bird took off into the numbing cold air. Green kept his attention on red, making sure he didn't fall. Espeon and Pikachu were giving Red worried looks, fearing their friend wouldn't recover. Green looked at them and picked up in their emotion.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," he assured, although he himself was unsure. They could only hope that he would be okay. Green continued to watch Red. He looked... peaceful. His expression blank.

He jumped when Red stirred. The pale-skinned trainer twitched, letting loose a cry of confusion when he opened his eyes about half way. The crimson orbs were fogged, not holding a single trace of any emotion or brightness.

"...Uhgh..." He groaned, wincing as Green held on to him.

"We're almost there, Red... Everything's going to be fine..." He then proceeded to slap himself mentally. _How could I have said that?! Nothing will ever be the same again!_

"...Hurts..." the reply was barely a whisper.

"I know." Green frowned as Red closed his eyes again. He looked down, thinking of where he could bring Red. "...Pidgeot, fly us to Saffron City. They have the best hospital."

The giant bird pokemon chirped a response before changing its course a bit. It flapped its mighty wings and continued forward.

Green looked down at Red. The black-haired teen was now breathing both raggedly and heavily, and this made him all the more concerned for his friend. "Come on, Pidgeot..." _He's showing signs of hypothermia... confusion... body temperature cooler than normal..._ He went over the symptoms in his already befuddled mind while the icy winds gradually grew thinner. He narrowed his eyes. "We have to hurry!"

Pidgeot cried out in response and sped forward, and Red's espeon using Psychic to keep its trainer in place. Green gripped Pidgeot a little tighter, and encouraged his pokemon to fly faster.

* * *

Panting, the pidgeot landed at the foot of a tall building after about half an hour of flying at high speeds. The building read 'Saffron City Hospital' on the top of the building in large letters.

Pidgeot spread its wings wide, trying to keep its balance as Green leaped off of it and rushed into the building.

When the doors slammed open, people all around looked over to Green, who was panting, all while carrying an unconscious Red. Just about instantly, people were crowding around them, wondering what had happened.

"Shut up and go away!" Green yelled to the people, forcing his way forward and out of the crowd. None of them were doctors. "Someone, get a doctor!" He yelled at a nearby nurse, who, once she saw Red, nodded, and ran down the hall.

"A bed is needed in the lobby immediately!" A voice shouted through the intercom.

A mere two minutes later, about a dozen doctors rushed through, all rolling a bed towards the two.

"Grab his pokemon!" One of them shouted. A few of the nurses nodded, and grabbed Red's bag, taking the pokeballs with them. When one of the nurses grabbed his Pikachu, it shrieked, wanting to stay with its trainer. Its cheeks sparked, and it threatened to electrocute the nurse holding him.

"Espe espeon!" the purple feline shouted at Pikachu. The cry seemed to do something, and the yellow mouse flinched a bit before keeping still.

Once the nurses left the building towards the Pokemon Center, one of the doctors pointed at Red and Green. "Get him onto the bed immediately!" He ordered to Green, who nodded with wide eyes, gently placing the raven-haired boy onto the bed. "Get him to the emergency room! Now!" The doctor yelled to the others, and they quickly ran off, dragging the bed with Red on it with them.

Green stared at them as they disappeared through the doors. He looked down, staring at his feet. For the first time in a long time, his cheeks felt wet.

He growled to himself, wiping his eyes vigorously. _This is no time to cry!_ He sighed heavily, and sat down on a chair in the lobby, staring at the wall.

"That was a brave thing you did." The voice of a young woman made Green turn around. A young girl, probably ten or so, stared at him. "Who was that, anyway?"

Green looked down. "Red."

The girl's mouth gaped. "You... you mean _the_ Red?"

Green nodded, holding in a sarcastic remark. "Look, I don't want to deal with this right now." He stood. "I'm need to make a few calls." He walked away; hearing a small 'sorry' from the girl, and stopped at the video phone.

He reached a hand forward, typing in a few numbers on the screen before it burst into static. After a few moments, a face appeared on the screen. The face seemed to belong to an old man.

"Oh! Green, it's a delight to see you!" The old man greeted with a smile.

"Hey, gramps." Green muttered, looking down.

The elder quickly noticed Green's troubled expression. "Green... is something wrong?"

The brunette lifted his head, eyes narrowed. "...Remember Red?"

"Of course! Who couldn't remember him?"

Green was tempted to facepalm at Professor Oak's clueless nature. "...Gramps, something happened to him."

Oak blinked a few times. "...Something happened? What would that 'something' be?"

Green took a deep breath. "...He had an accident on Mt. Silver. I don't know what exactly happened, but he-"

Oak's eyes widened. "What?! Green, what happened?!"

Green shook his head. "I don't know. But he's alive. Right here at the Saffron Hospital."

"I'm going over there right now!" Oak exclaimed, hanging up the video phone before Green could even reply. The brunette groaned in frustration.

 _Damn it, Gramps_ _... making my life even harder..._

Green sighed, moving his hand forward to make another call. If anyone had to know about the accident, it was Red's mother.

He typed in the number, and waited for the phone to answer. After about thirty seconds, the black-haired woman's face popped up on the screen.

"Oh, hello, Green." She smiled slightly. "Why did you call?"

Green winced. He couldn't bear to think what Red's mother would think about this. "It's about Red."

"Red?! You mean you've seen him?! Oh, how is he? Is he alright?"

Green's eyes trailed downwards, and he was silent. "...Y-yeah... about that..."

"What? Did something happen?!"

Green was about to answer, but Oak slammed open the door to Red's house.

"Get out here! Red's at the hospital!" The old man yelled, scaring the living daylights out of both Green and Red's mother.

"Wait-WHAT?!" Red's mom literally screamed. She looked over to Green, eyes full of despair. "Did you know something about this?!"

Green glared, lips creased in a frown. "I was about to tell you that Red was out here."

"Oh... oh!" Red's mother cried out, eyes really wide and glazed with tears. "I have to get over there, and..." She ignored the tears that poured out. "I'm coming, Green! Please make sure that Red's alright!" She paused, breathing heavily. "Please..." She hung up, leaving Green standing there, bewildered.

He blinked a few times, trying to clear the dizziness that swirled about in his head. He walked back over to the chair he was sitting at before, sitting down in a heap.

 _Oh man... what do I do...?_

He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and resting his head on his hands. He roughly dragged his hands across his already messy hair. Everything seemed to happen so fast... He looked up, and noticed that his vision was blurred with tears. He grunted, wiping the tears away. Why was he feeling like this?

He stared down at the floor, finally accepting the tears that fell from his eyes. He hadn't cried in a long time, and not like this since he was very young, when his parents died. He felt something; some feeling... it wracked at his heart, and all he could think about was Red...

He let out a saddening sigh, it sounded pretty pathetic to some but if everyone knew what had happened then they'd be pitying him. He continuously glanced at the hall the doctors took Red down, as though the teen would come out soon, perfectly healthy and happy.

"...You better be okay, Red..."

Just then, one of the many doctors walked through the door which Red disappeared from. Immediately, Green stood to his feet, trying his best to look casual.

"You're Green Oak, Viridian City gym leader?" The doctor asked as he stopped in front of Green.

"Y-yeah?" He was pretty nervous.

"We managed to stabilize your friend," Green's sigh of relief was cut short. "However, we don't know if he'll be able to survive the night. He's has a mild case of hypothermia, and his spine is broken. We're trying our best to warm him up, but..."

Green's eyes widened with fear. no.. He couldn't die... Not Red...

"C-Can I see him...Please?" Green stuttered, nervous for his friend. He was getting heavily anxious. He desperately wanted to see Red, even if it would be for the last time- _No don't think like that Green! He is going to pull through... he is strong... if anyone could make it, it will be Red._

But was that really true?

The doctor hesitated for a minute. "...No. Not until later. We're still trying to at least get his body temperature back to normal. If we can get it to a somewhat normal temperature, we'll let you see him." With that, the doctor turned and left back down the hall.

Green let out a saddening sigh and sat back down, a frown on his face. He stared at the white floor. He wanted to see Red...he wanted him to be okay.

He looked out the clear glass doors of the hospital, staring at the sun as it set behind the many buildings of Saffron.

 _Why did you fall, Red?!_

Anger began to take away all of his other emotions. He gripped the chair's arm tightly, glaring at the ground. He felt a chill crawl down his spine, and he shivered.

 _You're such an idiot!_

 _You should have been more careful! You should have known full well how harsh a climate Mt. Silver has!You've been there for ages! How could you have only fallen now?!_ He felt the anger boiling up inside him.

He stood up, trying his best to contain his anger. He walked up to the wall, staring at it for a few moments before slamming his fist against it. "Damn it, Red!" He almost shouted, resting his forehead against the wall.

After a few minutes, he managed to calm himself down. Breathing heavily, he lifted his head from the wall, running a hand through his hair.

 _It wasn't his fault. It was an accident._

He slid down to the ground and sat leaning against the cold wall, curled up into a ball.

 _Red... You better make it..._

* * *

 _An icy wind whirled around him, making him shiver in surprise. He looked around, seeing white everywhere. He walked forward, wincing at the sharp pain the snow made when it whipped at his skin._

He tried to see if something was up ahead, but there wasn't anything but white snow crystals flying around the gray, cloudy sky.

"Hello?!" He shouted. "Is anyone here?!"

There wasn't an answer.

He shivered, looking around warily. Where was he? Why was it so cold? He shouted for someone, or something again, but to no avail. All that replied to him was the howling wind.

He continued forward; confusion wracking at his mind. Where was he? Why was he so cold?

He felt his own feet buckle, and he laid there in the heavily-falling snow. His back hurt so much, and he didn't know why. What was going on?

Why am I here where am I I'm so cold so cold...

 _"Red..."_

He heard a voice. He couldn't figure out whose it was, though. He looked up, seeing a blurry figure make its way out of the snow.

"Red!"

Red? Who was Red? He hadn't ever heard the word. Was it his name? He didn't know. He didn't care. Why care about anything, anyway?

He felt a burning pain in his back, and he screamed.

* * *

Green jumped in fright when Red's eyes sprung open, and hearing him scream made the brunette fall out of the chair that he was sitting in. Red was panting heavily, shaking violently as Green stood up.

"Red!" Green was back at Red's side, a look of worry mixed with happiness on his face to see him awake.

Red's crimson eyes stared at Green for what seemed like forever before he blinked, looking away.

Green sighed in relief. Red was awake! His relief was short-lived, as Red closed his eyes again. The raven-haired teen was hooked up to various machines, one of them being a heart monitor. Green noticed that Red's heart rate was slower than normal.

"Red..." Green felt another wave of anger wash over him "...Why did you fall, Red?!" He felt tempted to slap Red across the face, but he didn't. "Why were you going down that mountain in the first place?! Red, why are you so _stupid?!_ Damn it, WHY?!" He saw Red flinch as he glared with as much anger as he could hold.

Red's answer, however, made his anger disappear instantly.

"...I... wanted to see you..."

He could've sworn that his heart skipped a beat. "...Me...?"

"Y-yeah..." Red replied, voice barely a whisper. He closed his eyes, wincing as he tried to move. His blank, scarlet eyes opened back up and stared at the ceiling as he rose a shaky hand to wipe the sweat off of his flushed face. "I... I didn't want... to be alone anymore..."

Green, stunned, had a look of complete shock on his face. He couldn't believe his ears at this point.

"G-Green..." Red choked out, staring at the brunette with the same, soulless eyes.

"...Y-yeah?"

Red shuddered, wincing his eyes shut. He reached forward and grabbed Green's hand, squeezing it because of the pain. The grip was weak, and was only getting weaker as the steady beeping of the heart monitor gradually slowed down.

Green started to panic, he took reds hand into his own and looked a him fearfully. Green listened carefully, awaiting his words

Red gasped for breath, and then tried speaking again. "I'm..." He let go of Green's hand, letting it lay on the bed. He couldn't speak any more, so he laid there, breathing shallow.

Green knew exactly what was going on. "Red... you can't die!" He yelled. "You have so much to live for! You can't just..." Tears began to drop from his eyes, splattering the sheets. "What about your mother? What about your family? What... what about..." He shook as a sob made its way from his throat.

He felt a hand grab his own, and Green's eyes snapped open. He saw Red, and saw the faintest of smiles creasing his lips.

Green felt the tears falling, he couldn't just let Red die like this! "Please Red... hang on..." He took Red's hand again, and the frown on his face didn't disappear. "Please..."

Green's mind began to run around. _Red's gonna die! You have to tell him goodbye somehow! Red's dying... He's dying..._

"Red..." Green whispered, leaning in close. He wrapped his arms around Red's still form. "...I..." His mind made a neon sign before his eyes. _'You love him'_ it said.

 _I don't love him!_ He yelled at himself. _He's a dear friend I don't want him to die he's dying I love him, don't I...?_

"R-Red, I..." The words wouldn't escape from his lips. This was so stupid! It was almost like one of those romance movies. Always being able to say 'I love you' to the other. Why did it seem so easy in the movies?

 _But Red's a male... and I'm a male, too! Why do I...?_

He felt a weak pair of arms wrap around him. He opened his eyes and looked down at Red. The black-haired boy looked up at Green, eyes fogged up with... something. Something he couldn't describe. Normally, Red's ruby eyes were blank and expressionless, but as Green looked closer, he saw nothing but memories; fogged up emotions mixed in perfectly within the glassy orbs.

He felt his body unconsciously lean forward on its own accord, and he let his eyes drift shut. He tried to stop himself, but for unknown reasons, he just... couldn't. _What?! No! I can't just-_

Their lips connected.

While it was a messy kiss, Green was somewhat enjoying it. Of course, this would be the only kiss he'd get... from the one he truly loved. He felt Red release a breath, and accepted the kiss. They stayed like that for many long moments, holding hands, together in a somewhat awkward embrace. Meanwhile, all Green could think about was how big of an idiot he was. Red was as good as dead, and he just... _What is wrong with me?!_

He felt the arms around him go slack, and he broke the kiss, hearing a long, monotone sound protruding from the heart monitor. Green stared at Red. That smile was still faintly creasing his friend's face.

"...Red?"

No response.

He blinked a few times, trying to register what had happened. Something was dawning on him, but he couldn't

"Red?"

Still no response.

Then, the realization hit him like a truck.

 _He's dead..._

"No... Red... Red, wake up! RED!" Green cried, he felt the tears coming out as he shook Red's shoulders a little. "Red, please! Wake up!" he lost the energy to stand and fell to the ground.

Just as he fell to the ground, three doctors ran into the room. They immediately began checking on Red, trying to see if they could revive him somehow. After many minutes of searching for any signs of revival, one of them lowered their head.

"We can't do anything else for him."

Green bit his lip, trying to hold back his cries. He felt the tears fall from his eyes as he rested his head in his hands.

"Oh, Red..."

* * *

He wiped at his eyes, trying to stop the tears that flooded out of them. He draped his sleeve over his soaked eyes, cursing at himself for getting his suit wet.

He stood, walking down the aisle. He felt the many stares of the people around him as he strode over towards the front of the room. He stopped in front of a microphone, nodding at a man next to him. He cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"Red was... different in a way," he began, closing his eyes for a moment. He could feel the stares burning his body. He opened his eyes back up, and continued. "He and I... we were best of friends. We did everything together. However, as the years went by, I had turned into someone else. I turned into a spoiled brat who only cared for himself. While going on our separate pokemon journeys, I had begun to realize the wrong of my actions. I changed." He cleared his throat again.

 _Why is everyone staring at me like this?_

He looked down, biting his lip again. "When he left for Mt. Silver, I was mad. He just left everyone without saying goodbye. He stayed there for three years, and we all thought he would never return." He winced, trying not to cry again. "Before he died, he told me that he wanted to see his family, and his... friends." He looked over, eying Blue with a gentle gaze. The brown-haired girl was seated in the front aisle, beside Red's mother. Red's mother was sobbing quietly, and Blue had her arms wrapped the crying woman, sapphire eyes filled with sympathy. Oak was sitting on the opposite side of Red's mother, trying to help calm her down too. "...He will be greatly missed." He looked up, eyes had a shine of confidence in them. "Let him be known. Not as the pokemon master. Not as the best trainer in the world." He fought back tears.

 _I can't cry. Not while everyone's watching..._

"Let him be known as one of the kindest, most caring people that ever lived." Green bowed his head slightly, showing he was finished. He turned around, looking down into the open casket. Inside was Red, dressed in a suit. The more Green stared at his still form, the more he thought that Red was simply asleep, free from death's grasp.

 _I can't think like that._

He reached a hand forward, gripping Red's cold hand. The dam that he built and tried so desperately to hold finally broke and tears fell from his eyes.

Green couldn't stop, he felt them falling, splattering onto Red's suit. _Damn it Red... Why'd you have to leave me...?_

He forced himself to turn away after giving Red's hand a final squeeze. He couldn't bear to see Red's calm, peaceful expression anymore. He walked back down the aisle, stopping beside Red's mom. He knelt beside her, trying to comfort her the best he could.

"I-I-I didn't get to say goodbye..." He heard her hiccup between sobs.

Green wrapped his arms around her. "It's going to be okay." He whispered in her ear. However, he wasn't sure if what he was saying was true. "Just think. He's not on a frozen mountain anymore. He's somewhere much better. And I know he's watching over us." He felt her form relax a little while he talked.

Blue smiled at Green. "It's true. Even if we won't be able to see him anymore, he can still see us."

Green nodded, forcing a smile upon his face, although his heart was still throbbing, it was empty...

"Come on." Green tried his best to soothe Red's mother. "Everything's... going to be fine..." He couldn't believe in his words at this point. He stood, bringing a hand through his hair. Sighing, he began to walk away; following the men who carried Red's casket out the door. "Come on, they're going to bury him, now."

He walked silently, heading for the graveyard. Which was to be Red's final resting ground.

He looked down as he walked, feeling... something. He felt... either half empty or half full. That was the only way he could describe his emotions. He stopped where everyone else had stopped. Red's family, relatives and friends were all gathered around a deep hole. They all watched as the men carrying Red's casket paused beside the hole before gently slipping it in. It fit perfectly.

Green could only watch as everyone lowered their heads; some crying silently, others trying their best to keep calm. Green could only imagine what his face looked like; stained with both dry and fresh tears, staring at nothing with soulless, emerald eyes.

He stared at Red's casket as it slowly lowered to the ground. Nothing; not a single thought could make its way to his brain, and he could feel nothing but emptiness.

With a quiet _clunk_ , they knew the casket hand reached the bottom of the hole. It sounded as empty as his heart... how each of his heartbeats sounded. Empty.

After a few minutes of simply staring, Green turned, forcing his way out of the small crowd.

"Green, where are you going?" Blue's voice made him stop. He turned and looked at Blue.

"Somewhere, I need time to think." He muttered. Without waiting for Blue's response, he walked away.

* * *

He sat by a stream, watching the steadily flowing water.

"Jolt." He felt his small, yellow pokemon nudge him. He unconsciously scratched it behind the ears, earning a small hum of content.

The jolteon gave a grin of glee as it was scratched. Green's expression still didn't change.

He stopped scratching it when the jolteon leaped onto his lap, curling up. He blinked a few times, then sighed silently. He pet his starter pokemon for a few minutes, listening to Jolteon purr and the soft trickling of the water as it passed by.

"Green?"

He jumped slightly at the voice, making his jolteon yelp in surprise. He turned his head, and saw Blue.

"Green, your grandfather is worried about you." She murmured, sitting beside him.

Green continued to silently stare at the stream, looking at his reflection in the rippling water. After a few moments, Green looked up at Blue, eyes still empty and blank.

"I kissed him, Blue."

Blue stared at him, befuddled. "W...wha?" Her eyes filled with confusion. "Kissed him? You mean...?"

Green nodded, feeling a small tinge of embarrassment. "Yeah."

Blue blinked a few times, then her gaze softened. "You loved him, didn't you?"

"How the hell should I know?" He replied, shivering a bit. "I couldn't even think straight!" He looked back down, feeling a shiver make its way down his spine. "I... I don't know..." He muttered.

Blue smiled faintly. "It's alright if you did love him."

Green shook his head, resting his head in his hands. "Did isn't the word. I _do_ love him."

Blue paused, then sighed, combing her fingers through her long, brown hair. She was silent as Green continued to stare out into the distance. "I miss him too." She murmured, sapphire eyes shining with thought.

Those words made Green flinch a bit. "Miss him?" He felt his eyes water up again. He faintly felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and his eyes widened. He turned his head and his eyes met with Blue's. He glared a bit, turning away. "...I don't..." He winced as tears leaked out. "Why did he have to leave?"

Blue shook her head. "I don't know." She frowned, using her other hand to lift Green's chin a little. "Green, I know you'll miss him, but you need to move on."

"Move on?!" Green replied, an edge in his voice. He pushed the hand away from his chin, letting the tears fall. "How am I supposed to move on?! I... I _loved_ him, damn it!" He began to tremble, trying not to sob right on front of the girl next to him.

"Jolt." He felt another nudge, and he looked down at his Jolteon, who was nuzzling him, trying to comfort its trainer.

"Jolteon..." He whispered, picking the yellow pokemon up. He gently hugged it, quietly sobbing to himself. "I don't know what I'm going to do anymore..."

Blue's gaze drifted downwards, and she blinked the tears away from her eyes. She wasn't one to cry much, but neither was Green. She knew that it took a lot for the tough gym leader to break. She scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. She let him cry on her shoulder. It was going to take a long time to fix the broken heart that Green held.

"Everything's going to be fine..." She whispered in his ear, knowing fully well that he wouldn't hear her. "I promise."


End file.
